Page 9 of Switched

“Jax,” I whisper. He’s being rude.

Jack continues to look at Jax. I mean Jack. I mean Jax! Wow, this is going to be confusing. “You have no idea what I’ve been through, Prince,” Jack says. “Tangoing with Rumpelstiltskin and then getting away is no picnic.”

My ears perk up. “You’ve seen him? When?”

He shrugs. “I can’t remember. It all happened so fast.”

“He’s telling tales again. And how do you know I’m a prince anyway?” Jax counters.

Jack looks him up and down. “I can tell.”

“Enough shop talk,” says Pete, leading Jack away. “Let’s get you signed in, Spriggins.”

I watch Pete lead Jack away and wish I could go after them. I have to know more about what happened between him and Rumpelstiltskin!

Happily Ever After Scrolls

Brought to you by Fairy Web—Enchantasia’s Number One News Source!

Meet the Beast: Fairy Tale Reform School Has a New Teacher—Prince Sebastian!

by Coco Collette

Name: Prince Sebastian, but you may know him best as the royal who was once cursed to live out his days as a beast. Then true love’s kiss by a young maiden named Beauty changed his fate!

Occupation: In his own kingdom, the prince ruled the countryside with the help of his princess and their young daughter, Allison Grace, who is reportedly attending Fairy Tale Reform School. As a princess, we wondered why she wasn’t enrolled at Royal Academy. “That’s none of your business,” said Prince Sebastian gruffly. (Geez, guess some of that beast is still in him. When he gets cranky, sources say he turns back into one too! Let’s not make him angry, okay?) At FTRS, the prince will be handling the school’s new advanced studies program for students already on the path to being good, nicknamed the MMC. “My goal is to keep them that way,” the prince says. His coursework aims to help the students find a deeper understanding of themselves and the kingdom around them.

Hobbies: Literature. Like his wife, he’s a huge lover of books. The prince also loves to travel. “Once I was freed of my curse, I wanted to explore places outside my castle. There’s no greater joy than experiencing other kingdoms and seeing how they differ from your own courtyard.”

Strengths: Um, actual strength? When he’s in beast form, he can scale walls and lift heavy objects. Another strength? “My family,” says the prince, who credits his wife and daughter for making him “worthy of the man I see in the mirror.” Aww!

Weaknesses: “I’m grumpy when I’m hungry. And when someone doesn’t listen to the rules. And when I’m contradicted.” (Note to us all: do not make him angry!)

Check back soon for our Meet the Teacher report on the prince’s wife—Beauty!

CHAPTER 3

Into the Woods

Even though I went to bed hours ago, I still can’t sleep. My mind is on my first class with Prince Sebastian. These classes were my idea, so I want to make a good impression. Especially, um, after what happened in the library.

Tomorrow, I will arrive early!

My quill will be full of ink, and my scroll will be ready for note taking!

My uniform is going to be pressed, and my hair is going to be neatly tied back in a ribbon!

Do I have any hair ribbons? I keep losing the ones Maxine gives me. I will need to ask Maxine for another ribbon.

I toss and turn and almost knock Wilson off my pillow three times while Maxine and Peaches snore loudly together from the other bed. A duck snore is not a pretty sound. I cover my ears—and hear my name called.

“Gilly!” Kayla is banging on Maxine’s and my bedroom window. I can see her fluttering outside it. “I need your help!”

I glance at our newest alarm clock—Peaches keeps eating them because she hates the noise—and almost pass out. It’s 1:00 a.m.? How can I still be awake?

“Gilly, please!” Her voice is desperate. It’s the Kayla of old, and I really like the new, happy Kayla. “It’s Mother.” She sounds frantic. “She’s missing from the fairy hut, and I’m worried he’ll find her if she’s out on the grounds alone!”

I know the “he” she is referring to. I get out of bed, slip into my boots, and run to the window in my nightgown. To avoid tripping the magical alarm that will alert Miri that I’m out of bed after curfew, I have to make my exit quick. We are on a low floor, but still high enough that I can’t jump. I’ll have to spring off Maxine’s super-springy ottoman, through the window, and into Kayla’s arms.